Labeling machine



Feb. 26, 1952 R. J. NEWMAN ETAL 2,586,983

LABELING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 13, 1950 Feb. v26,--1952 R. J. NEWMAN ETAL 2,586,983`

LABELING MACHINE Filed June 13, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 26, 1952 R. J. NEWMAN ETAL 2,586,983

' LABELING MACHINE Filed June l5, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 26, 1952 R. J. NEWMAN Erm. 2,586,983

. LABELING MACHINE Filed June 13, 1950 f 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 26, 1952 R. J. NEWMAN ETAL LABELING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filedjune 13, 1950 F/GB.

Inventors.' NEL/MAN AND RoBERT :mmv oAv/n SIDNEY FR'IEND Feb. 26, 1952 R. J. NEWMAN ETAL LABELING MACHINE 6 sheets-sheet 6 Filed June 15 ,i 1950 Hei/2.

Inventors: RoBERT U'oHN NEU/IAN AND DAVID SIDNEY FRIEND Patented Feb. 26, 1952 LABELING MACHINE Robert John Newman and David Sidney Friend, London, England Application June 13, 1950, Seria-l No. 167,734 In Great Britain June 13, 1949 14 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for applying labels to cylindrical objects such as, for eX- ample, glass bottles. More particularly but not solely the invention relates to machines of the kind comprising gum plates mounted for reciprocating movement and adapted i'lrst to receive adhesive thereon and then to receive a label from a hopper and to bring the label to a position where the label may be transferred from the gum plates to the object during movement of the object and label transversely of the reciprocating movement of the gum plates.

Itv is an objective of the invention to enable the labels to be applied to cylindrical objects correctly and reliably. A further object of the invention is to enable the objects to be automatically fed to labelling devices from a row of objects so that they do not have to be entered by hand one at a time into the labelling device. A still further object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the labels can be applied completely around the object or even overlapping.

To this end, the present invention consists in a machine for applying labels to cylindrical objects, wherein means are provided for gumming and applying a label to the object at one part of its length and further means are provided for thereafter rolling one object along a preferably plane surface thereby to roll the label on the object and apply it firmly thereto.

The plane surface is preferably constituted by a strip of rubber, cork, or other resilient material and the object is rolled along said surface by at least one endless conveyor belt spaced apart from and in parallel relation to said surface by an amount substantially equal to the diameter of the object whereby the object is rolled between the belt and the plane surface. The plane surface may be adjustably mounted so as to vary the distance between it and the conveyor belt to accommodate objects of different sizes.

According to a further feature of the invention means are provided whereby a row of objects on a downwardly inclined feed chute are picked olfV one at a time by a reciprocating label applying device, a rest which after initial application of the label to the object, being moved to bring the object into contact with the endless conveyor belt which rolls the object oi the rest on to and along the plane surface.

The feed chute, the plane surface and the conveter belt are diSnQSed, aQGQrding to a further feature of the invention, one above the other on the same Side f the, machine as the reciprocating rest, whereby a compact apparatus is provided and the'V objects are fed approximately back to the same position as the position where the operator places the objects in the feed chute.

According to a still further feature of the invention the gum plates are caused to pause during the reciprocatingt movement thereof at a position where the reciprocating rest lies below and towards one side of the opening in the gum plates whereby the label applying device may push a label lying on said gum plates through said opening on to an object on the rest and affix the label on to the object at a point adjacent one end of the label.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate diagraminatically and by way of example, one embodiment of a machine for labelling bottles or the like objects in accordance therewith, and in which:

Figure 1 is the front elevation of the machine;

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation taken on the line II-II of Figure 3;

'Figure 3 is a plan;

Figure 4 is a detail of the label box reciproeating movement;

Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the label applying device, the bottle rest and the gum plates;

Figure 6 is a detail of the label applying device and the reciprocating mechanism therefor; and

Figure '7 is a detail of the reciprocating mechanism for the bottle rest.

-Figure 8 is a side elevation similar to Figure 2 but showing a part only of Figure 2 on an enlarged scale; A,

Figure 9 is a plan view of the gum plate shown in Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a front elevation similar to Figure l but showing a part only of Figure 1 on an enlarged scale;

Figure ll is a side elevation similar to Figure 5 but showing a part only of Figure 5 on an enlarged scale; and

Figure l2 is a side elevation similar to Figure 2 but on an enlarged scale and showing the full outline of a cam a part only of which is shown in Figure 2.

In the drawings, the main groups of components comprise a gum or adhesive applying means I, a horizontally reciprocating gum plate 2, a vertically reciprocating label box 3, a label applying means t, a reciprocating bottle rest 5, a feed chute for the objects to be labelled 6, and a delivery means 1. The various components are mounted in a, frame-work 28 and an electric motor or other power means 29 is provided for driving the various mechanisms through suitable transmissions.

The gum applying means I (Figure 2) comprises a gum box or trough 8, having a positively driven gum pick-up roller 9, rotatably mounted with its periphery dipping into the gum and engaging with the surface of a transfer roller I0, also positively driven. A gum or adhesive applying roller is freely mounted in one end of each of a pair of gum roller rocker arms |2 which are interconnected by a sleeve |3 mounted on a rod at the rear of the machine. Arms I2 rock about a pivot I5 so as to bring the roller alternately into contact with the gum transfer roller I0, and the horizontally reciprocable gum plate i0, and the horizontally reciprocable gum plate 2.

Fast on the sleeve I3 is a cranked lever I6 having a stud I1 welded thereon at the elbow of the lever to which is secured one end of a spring I8, the other end of which is fastened to a hooked rod I5 secured in the front wall 20 of the machine. Spring |8 tends to keep gum roller Il in the position shown in Figure 2 where it is in contact with the transfer roller I0. The other end 2| of the crank lever I 6 is connected by a spring 22 to the free end of a cam lever 23 pivoted at 24 in the rear wall 25 of the machine. Lever 23 carries a cam roller 26 which is urged into Contact with a cam 21 by the spring 22. Cam 21 is carried by a main shaft |20 journalled in the frame 28 of the machine and driven by the motor 2S through pulley |22, belt |23, pulley |24, shaft |25, worm |26, and worm wheel |21, the latter being fast on shaft |20. Depression of lever 23 from the position shown in Figure 2 by the cam 21 moves the end 2| of crank lever IB downwardly to rock the arms I2 downwardly and disengage the gum applying roller from the transfer roller l0 and bring the same into a position in the path of the gum plate 2 to apply gum thereto.

The gum plate assembly 2 (Figures 1 to 3) reciprocates on a xed shaft 30 secured horizontally between the front and rear walls and 25, and comprises a substantially rectangular plate 3| carried on an arm l I0 formed on a block III sliding on shaft 30. End ||2 of arm ||0 rests on a frame member to assist in supporting the gum plates assembly during reciprocation. Rectangular plate 3| has a rectangular opening or cut-out 32 at its forward end through which a label may be passed as will later be more fully described. Opening 32 divides the plate 5| into a pair of gum plates 33 and 34. For labels of different sizes different gum plates may be provided with diiierent sizes of opening 32. T-he opening may be, say, approximately 11A; inches wide for objects between half and one inch diameter. The gum plates 33 and 34 are reciprocated by a lever 35 which is rocked about a xed pivot 36 by a cam 31, secured to the main cam shaft |20, acting through a cam roller 38, freely mounted on the lever. The cam roller 38 is held in contact with the cam 31 by a spring 39 anchored at one end to the rear wall and engaging at the other end on a pin ||3 welded to the lever 35. The upper end of lever is forked at ||5 to receive and drive pin ||4 on the block The cam plate assembly may also carry a type block or chase 40 for printing or stamping on the labels as they are. fed by the machine.

The label box assembly 3 (Figures 2 to 4) includes a plurality of vertical fingers 4| secured in a rectangular frame comprising two rods H6, ||1 and two plates 42, |52 slidably mounted on the rods. The rods are secured at one side to a plate 42a which in turn is secured to a vertical rod 43 which is journalled in bearings 55, 55 for vertical sliding movement. Each iinger has an inturned nose 4d upon which a stack of labels are carried. A pressure plate 45 is urged down= wardly by a follower i5 to keep the labels prop.- erly stacked and bearing against the noses 44. The lower end of rod i3 is cranked at 41 and is pivotally connected to a further rod 48. This rod is pivotally connected to a cam lever 49 pivoted at 50 in the frame of the machine. A cam 5|, secured on the main cam shaft |20, engaging a cam roller 52 carried by a lever 4S actuates the rod 53 to raise and lower the label box. Cam 5| has two dwells in its surface, one of which 53 brings the label box into contact with the gum plates 33, 34, and the other 54 brings the box into contact with the type in the type block 40. In other positions of the cam the label box is raised out of the path of the gum plate assembly.

The label applying means 4 (Figures 1, 2, 3 v

and 5) comprise a pair of vertical slide bars 51, 58 carried on a rod 59 mounted for sliding movement in a yoke 60 secured to the iront wall 20. The bars 51 and 58 are connected together in spaced parallel relationship by straps 6|, 62, the latter having a stud 62a at its rear end which rides in a guide slot provided in the base of the yoke 50 to prevent any twisting movement of the bars about the rod 50. The slide bars carry label applying feet 63, Gli at their lower ends. These feet are removable so that they can be replaced by feet of a diierent size according to the size of the opening 32 between the gum plates 33 and 34.

The recipricating drive to the slide bars 51, 58- comprises a lever 55 pivoted at 65 in the front wall 20, one end of which is forked at 61 to en-l gage a stud 68 formed in or provided on a collar 59 fast on rod 59. rEhe other end of lever is connected through a stud 10 passing through wall 20 to one end of an operating rod 1|. Plv-f otally connected at 12 to the other end of rod 1| is a cam operating lever 13 anchored at 14 to the rear wall 25 by a pivot 15. Lever 13 carries a cam roller 16 which is urged against a cam 11, secured to main cam shaft |20, by a spring 18 attached to the bottoni of rod 1| and anchored at 19 to the front wall 20. rThe slide' bars 51, 58 straddle an endless conveyorbelt 80, later to be referred to, and the feet 55, 54- are adapted to pass through the opening 32 iii the gum plates during reciprocating movement of the bars.

The bottle rest assembly 5 (Figures l, 2 and '1) is mounted on the front wall 25 and comprises a vertical bar 8| carried in a trunnion 82 fast on a shaft 83 mounted for sliding movement in bearing blocks 84 and 85 secured to the rear of the wall 20. The upper end of the bar 8| is. sloped at 86 downwardly to the right as viewed. in Figure 2 to form with a detachable slide plate 81 a bottle rest. A series of side plates 81 of different sizes may be provided for containers of different diameter.

as a cushion for the article held thereon.

'I jhe restI bar 8| supports a container |00 to The surface 36 and also,. if desired, the plate 51 may be faced with a sheetv of rubber, cork or other resilient material to act one side, of the opening 3.2 in the gum plates. (see Figure 1). Bar 8l is also positioned vertcally beneath the label applying slide bars 5l, 58 so that the container |50 can be held between the. two components as will later be described.

The rear end S8 of the trunnion 32 is connected by a spring S9 to the free end of a cam operating lever Sil fixed in the rear wall 25 at 9| by a pivot 92. The lever carries a cam roller 93 urged by spring 89 into contact with a cam 94 secured tol the main cam shaft |29.

The feed chute 3 (Figure l) is secured to the front wall 20 and is inclined downwardly from left to right and at an angle substantially the same as the sloping end 36 of the rest bar 8|. The bottles or other objects we to be labelled are fed by hand on to the projecting end 95 of the chute to roll by gravity down the chute to lie against the side of the rest bar 8i as shown in Figure 1'. When the rest bar is lowered a bottle rolls on to the sloping surface 86 and as the bar is raised the remaining bottles in the chute are held back; bythe side of the bar Si as shown. The chute 6 is preferably an angle section, the upstanding ange Serving to line up the articles in the chute. If desired, the chute may be inclined slightly transversely to ensure that the articles are properly aligned. The chute may be adjustable in a position from front to rear of the machine and also vertically.

The endless conveyor belt Bil forming Ipart of the delivery means (Figures l, 3 and 5) is carried by two pulleys S5 having horizontal axes, one Sl a short distance on one side of the slide bars 5l, 58, and the other 9S disposed a considerable distance, for example, 18 inches to the left of the slide bars, and at a higher level so that the belt is inclined upwards to the left. Below the low-er run of the belt Sil and parallel to it is a plane sur-face 99 constituted by a strip of rubber, cork or other resilient material It! carried by a metal backingl plate I which in turn is carried in brackets w3, idd mounted for vertical adjustment on the front wall 20. rlhe brackets are clamped in the adjusted position by nuts |95. The tension of the belt 80 is adjustable by an adjuster |30.

A wiper blade |06 which may be of resilient material, is secured to and projects beyond the right hand end of plate |02 to lie in the path of the left hand side of the rest arm` 8i. A collecting trough ii'l constituted for example by an angle bar is secured to the upper or delivery end of the plane surface 99.

The operation of the machine is as follows;

The operator feeds the bottles or containers |99 on to the projecting end S5 of the feed chute 6. The lowermost container in the chute rolls on to the sloping surface E6 of the rest bar 8| when the latter is in its lowermost position and the rest then rises to a position just below the plane of the gum plates 33 and 3d. Due to the shaping of the cam 94, the rest di then pauses in this position. During this movement the gum applyingroller moves down and the gum plates 33 and 34 move forward to receive adhesive from the said roller. The gum plates pause below the label hopper which descends to release the lowermost label. The label hopper is then raised and the gum plates continue their movement to their extrem-e forward position. plying feet 53 and 513 then descend together until rhe label ap-v the label passes completely through the opening 32 on to the container is@ lying in the rest 8.1. .AS the container is supported at the lefthandA @11d 0f the. Opening, 32, 'so as to overlap the right hand edge of the left hand sum. plate 34, the short left hand end of the label is applied to the container first.

The rest 8| and feet 63, 64, are then raised together with the container with the label affixed only towards its left hand end, until the container contacts the lower run of the endless belt 8i) which is moving from right to left. During this upward movement the wiper |06 contacts the left hand side of the container and aixes the left hand end of the label rmly on to the container. The endless belt rolls the container off theA rest 8| on to the plane surface 99 which is spaced apart from the lower run of the belt 8U a distance similar to the diameter of the container so that the belt 80 rolls the container along the rubb-er strip |0| to apply the remainder of the label rmly around the container. The container continues its rolling movement to the discharge trough |01. Immediately prior to the engagement of the container by the belt Sil the label applying feet 63, Ed are raised out of engagement therewith.

When the gum plates are in their fully forward position the type block 4|) is brought beneath the label box which again descends to print or stamp the number on to the bottom label in the pile. After this operation the label box is raised again and the gum plates make their return movement ready to commence the next labelling operation.

What we claim is:

l. A machine for applying labels tov cylindrical objects comprising an inclined chute element down which the objects roll gravitationally, a reciprocable rest adapted to receive only a single one o'f said objects, said rest being reciproca-ble across the lower end of said element so as to receive the lowermost of the objects on said element and move it to a label receiving position,

gum plates, means to apply gum to the gum plates, means to apply the exposed label of a stack of labels to the gum plates, means to reciprocate. the gum plates in a plane transverse to the plane of reciprocation of the rest with pauses at the label receiving position and at a label transfer position adjacent the rest, rmeans for pressing part of the label carried by the gum plates on to the object on the rest, a plane element, an endless belt means having part thereof parallel to and spaced from said plane element and having an extending end beyond one end ci said plane element, and means for reciprocating the rest as aforesaid and to move the rest after the object thereon has received a label towards said belt means thereby contacting the object with the extending end of,l said belt means so that the latter rolls the object off the rest and along said plane element.

2. A machine for applying labels to cylindrical objects comprising an inclined chute element down which the objects, roll gravitationally, a reciprocable rest adapted toy receive only a single one of said objects, said rest being reciprocable vertically across the lower end of said elem-ent so as to receive the lowermost of the objects on said element and move it to a label receiving position. the upper end of said rest being inclined in the same sense as said element, a stop engageable by the object to limit its movement on to the rest. sum plates, means t0 apply sum to the gum plates, means to apply the exposed lowermost label. of a stack of; labels to the upper suriace of the sum plates, means to reciprocate the gum plates in a horizontal plane transverse to the plane of reciprocation of the rest and to the direction of movement of said objects on said element with pauses at the label receiving position and at a label transfer position adjacent the rest, vertically reciprocable means located above the rest for pressing part of the label carried by the gum plates on to the object on the rest, a plane element disposed above and extending in the same direction as said chute element, an endless belt means having part thereof above parallel to and spaced from said plane element and having an extending end beyond one end of said plane element over the rest, and means for 4reciprocating the rest as aforesaid and to move the rest after the object thereon has received a label towards said belt means thereby contacting the object with the extending end of said belt means so that the latter rolls the object ofi the rest and along said plane element.

3. A machine for applyinglabels to cylindrical objects comprising a plane element along which the objects can be rolled, a reciproca-ble rest adapted to receive the objects one at a time and adapted to reciprocate across one end of said element, gum plates reciprocable transversely to the line of reciprocation of said rest and transversely to the direction of the rolling movement of the objects along said element, means for applying gum to said gum plates, means to apply labels one at a time to said gum plates, means to reciprocate said gum plates with a dwell at the label receiving position and a. dwell at a transfer position adjacent to the rest, means to press the label on the gum plates on to the object on the rest while the gum plates dwell at the transfer position, endless belt means having a part parallel to and spaced from said element and having a part extending beyond one end of said element over the rest, and means for reciprocating said rest to bring theobject into contact with said extending part of Said belt means whereby the object is rolled off the rest on to and along said element.

4. A machine for applying labels to cylindrical objects comprising a plane element along which the objects can 'be rolled, a vertically reciproca'ble rest adapted to receive the objects one at a time and adapted to reciprocate across one end of said element, said rest having an upper inclined surface, a backstop at the lower side of said surface, gum Iplates reciprocable in a horizontal plane transversely to the line of reciprocation of said rest and transversely to the direction of the rolling movement of the objects along said element, said gum plates having an opening between them, means for applying gum to said gum plates, vertically reciprocable means to apply labels one at a time to the upper surfaces of said gum plates, means to reciprocate said gum plates with a dwell at the label receiving position and a dwell at a transfer position adjacent to the rest, means to press the label on the gum plates through said opening on to the object on the rest while the gum plates dwell at the transfer position, endless belt means having a part parallel to and spaced from said element and having a part extending beyond one end of said element over the rest, means for reciprocating said rest to bring the object into contact with said extending part of said belt means whereby the object is rolled oi the rest on to and along said element, said label pressing means comprising feet on either side of the belt means to engage the label at spaced` positions, and

means to maintain the feet engaged with the label as the object is moved up towards the belt means.

5. A machine for applying labels to cylindrical objects comprising means for feeding the objects, a receiving device for receiving the objects consecutively one at a time from said means, means for applying a gummed label to the object on the receiving device at one part of its length, an element providing a plane surface, and endless belt means for rolling the object olf the receiving device on to and along the said plane surface thereby to roll the label on the object and apply it rmly thereto.

6. A machine for applying labels to cylindrical objects comprising a downwardly inclined feed chute down which the objects roll gravitationally, a reciprocating rest which receives the objects one at a time from the lower end of the said chute, a reciprocating label applying device 0peratively associated with said rest by which a gummed label is applied to the object on the rest at one part of the length of the label, an element providing a plane surface, and an endless conveyor belt spaced from and parallel to the plane surface, the said rest after application of the label to the object thereon being moved to bring the object into contact with the endless conveyor which rolls the object 01T the rest on to and along the plane surface.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 6 wherein the feed chute, the plane surface and the conveyor belt are disposed one above the other whereby the objects are fed back along the chute to a position adjacent that at which the objects are fed to the chute.

8. A machine for applying labels to cylindrical objects comprising means for feeding objects, a reciprocating rest for receiving one object at a time from said means, reciprocating gum plates, means for applying gum to the gum plates, means for bringing an exposed label of a stack of labels into contact with the gummed surface of the said plates, means for moving the gum plates from the gum receiving position to the label receiving position and then to a transfer position adjacent to said rest, means for pressing the label carried by the gum plates on to the object on the said rest, an element providing a plane surface, and an endless conveyor belt spaced from and parallel to the plane surface, the said rest after application of the label to the object thereon being moved to bring the object into contact wtih the endless conveyor which rolls the object off the rest on to and along the plane surface.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 8 wherein the reciprocating gum plates are constituted by a at substantially rectangular metal plate having a substantially rectangular opening or cutout at one end, said opening being of a width sufficient to support a label by its edges, and the means for moving the gum plates Icause the gum plates to pause during the reciprocating movement thereof at a position where the rest lies below and towards one side of the said opening and wherein the means for pressing the label includes a device which pushes a label lying on said gum plates through said opening on to the object on the rest.

10. A machine for applying labels to cylindrical objects comprising a reciprocating rest for receiving an object fed to the machine, a reciprocating gum plate having a rectangular opening, a label box assembly mounted for reciprocating movement transversely to the plane of movement l of the gum plates and adapted to support a, stack or pile of labels, means to apply a label which has been gummed by contact with the gum plates during reciprocation thereof to the object on the rest, the upper end of said rest being inclined in the same sense as said element, and a stop engageable by the object to limit its movement on to the rest` l1..A machine for applying labels to cylindrical objects comprising a plane element along which the objects can be rolled, gum plates, means for gumming the gum plates, means for applyingr labels one at a time to the gum plates, means for supporting the objects one at a time, means for pressing the label on the gum plates on to the object, endless belt means having part thereof parallel to and spaced from said plane element and having another part extending beyond one end of said element, and means for moving the supporting means to bring the object with its label into contact With said extending part whereby the object is rolled off the supporting means on to and along said plane element.

12. Machine as claimed in claim l1 wherein the reciprocating gum plates are constituted by a at substantially rectangular metal plate having a substantially rectangular opening or cutout at one end, said opening being of a width sucient to support a label by its edges.

13. Machine as claimed in Aclaim 3, wherein a Wiper blade is provided at the end of the plane element to contact one end of the label and ax it to the object during upward movement of the rest.

14. A machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein the gum plates have anv opening therein across which the label is appliedand the rest is disposed to one side of the opening nearer to the plane element whereby the label applied to the object has one extending short end and an extending long end, and wiper means is provided at the end of the plane element adjacent to the rest which Wipes the short end of the label around the object before the latter is rolled on tothe plane surface.

ROBERT JOHN NEWMAN. DAVID SIDNEY FRIEND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,271,724 Knapp et al. July 9, 1918 1,716,445 Johnson et al June 11, 1929 1,995,306 Hesson Mar. 26, 1935 2,338,887 Van Hofe Jan. 11, 1944 

